COLLEGE BASEBALL: Evansville defeats SIUE, 13-2

Published 11:29 pm, Tuesday, March 29, 2016

SIUE fell to 4-17 overall with the loss. Evansville improved to 12-11.

“We’re playing hard; we’re not quitting,” SIUE coach Tony Stoecklin said. “We’re not playing well enough to get the wins.”

The Cougars struck first, scoring three batters into the game against UE starter Austin Allinger. Alec Skender led off the game with a single to left center. Skender advanced to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a one-out base hit by Keaton Wright.

Alligner (3-1) went six innings to earn the win. He allowed the single run and struck out four.

Evansville shortstop Stewart Nelson gave the Purple Aces their first lead with a two-run single in the bottom of the second inning. Josh Jyawook made it 3-1 Evansville with a sacrifice fly in the third inning.

The Purple Aces broke the game open in a five-run, four-hit fifth inning which also included two walks, a hit batter and an error.

“We had a tailor-made double play ball and we didn’t make the play,” Stoecklin said. “And then the big inning happens.”

Cougar reliever Brandon Tatum failed to record an out in the inning, while allowing all five runs, three earned.

Wright drove in the second run for SIUE in the seventh with a groundout. Kailer Smith scored on the play after singling with one out to make it 8-2 Evansville.

Nelson collected an RBI-single and Evansville second baseman Trey Hair added a two-run double in the bottom of the seventh to extend the Aces’ lead to 11-2. Centerfielder Jeff Christen clubbed a two-run home run in the eighth for the final margin.

“We tell (the team) to keep their heads up,” Stoecklin added. “We want to make sure they understand why the wins aren’t coming. It’s not always that the other team beats us.”

D.J Hickey allowed three runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. Zach Malach gave up two runs in 1.1 innings, allowing the home run to Christen in the eighth.

SIUE starter Brendan Miller (2-1) suffered the loss. He pitched four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits. He struck out three.

Skender and Dustin Woodcock each had two hits for SIUE, which had just eight hits for the game.

Nelson finished the game 3 for 5 with five RBIs and Christen finished 3 for 3 with three RBIs for Evansville.

The Cougars return to Ohio Valley Conference play with a weekend series at league-leading Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks are 9-0 in OVC play.

“SEMO is playing really well,” Stoecklin said. “(The series) will certainly be a challenge.”